Union Street in Plymouth

Plymouth

Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

, Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, is a long straight street connecting the city centre to Devonport

Devonport, Devon

Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...

, the site of Plymouth's naval base and docks. Originally the home of wealthy people, it later became an infamous red-light district and the location of most of the city's night-life.

History

Designed by John Foulston

John Foulston

John Foulston was an English architect. He was a pupil of Thomas Hardwick and set up a practice in London in 1796. In 1810 he won a competition to design the Royal Hotel and Theatre group of buildings in Plymouth, Devon, and after relocating he remained the leading architect for twenty-five...

, it was laid out between 1812 and 1820 as a grand boulevard to connect the three towns of Plymouth, East Stonehouse and Devonport

Devonport, Devon

Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...

. Today Union Street forms part of the A374

A374 road

The A374 is a main road in the United Kingdom, one of six A-roads making the border crossing between Devon and Cornwall. It is the most southerly of the A37x group of roads, starting and ending its journey with the A38 trunk road, from the outskirts of Plymouth in Devon to the Trerulefoot...

.

For some years after its construction, Union Street was the home of the wealthy. According to a guidebook of 1823:
Despite its upper-class associations, Union Street was the location of the first outbreaks in Plymouth of cholera

Cholera

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...

 in the 1849 epidemic. At the time, these outbreaks in July of that year were believed to be caused by works connected with the new Millbay railway station

Plymouth Millbay railway station

Plymouth Millbay railway station was the original railway terminus in Plymouth, Devon, England. It was used for passenger trains from 1849 to 1941.- History :...

, during which the drains of several houses had become blocked and their lower premises overflowed with sewage.

It was the continuing development along and around Union Street that led to the merger of the Three Towns

Three Towns

The Three Towns is a term used to refer to the neighbouring towns of Plymouth, Devonport and East Stonehouse in the county of Devon, England. They were formally merged in 1914 to become the Borough of Plymouth. In 1928, the Borough was granted City status by Royal Charter.-Notes:...

 in 1914, and the granting of Plymouth's city status in 1928.

Frequented by sailor

Sailor

A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...

s from all over the world, it was once known as one of the West Country's most infamous streets and red-light district

Red-light district

A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...

s. Much of the area was destroyed by German bombing

Plymouth Blitz

The Plymouth Blitz was a series of bombing raids carried out by the Nazi German Luftwaffe on the English city of Plymouth in the Second World War. The bombings launched on numerous British cities were known as the Blitz....

 in World War II, more by widening and slum clearance work.

The Palace Theatre

In 1898 The Palace Theatre opened as a music hall

Music hall

Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...

 in Union Street. It was damaged by fire only eight months after opening, but re-opened in 1899 as The New Palace Theatre of Varieties. In 1961 it was converted to a bingo hall and continued in this use and as a theatre until 1983 when it became "The Academy" disco.

In May 2006 a police operation showed that class A drugs were being used and dealt there, and it closed as a result. The building is grade II listed, and in 2008 it was included on a list by The Victorian Society

The Victorian Society

The Victorian Society is the national charity responsible for the study and protection of Victorian and Edwardian architecture and other arts in Britain....

 of the UK's ten most endangered and best Victorian and Edwardian buildings.

Today

Now Union Street consists of council flats, derelict buildings, night clubs and late night pubs

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

. It has a noticeable police presence late at night and early into the morning, to control drunk and lively people. As of 2002, it was also patrolled by military police

Military police

Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...

 to maintain a degree of integrity among sailors and marines, though it is less frequented by service personnel than it once was.

During 2007 and 2008 hundreds of expensive new flats were built immediately south of Union Street towards the cross channel ferry dock at Millbay

Millbay

Millbay, also known as Millbay Docks, is an area of dockland in Plymouth, Devon, England. It lies south of Union Street, between West Hoe in the east and Stonehouse in the west.-Early history:Mill Bay was a natural inlet to the west of the Hoe...

.

In Song

"Union Street (Last Post)" is a track on the 2006 Album "Witness

Witness

A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...

" by contemporary West Country folk duo "Show of Hands

Show of Hands

Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots and folk duo comprising singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer. In recent years they have been accompanied on tour and in the studio by jazz double-bassist Miranda Sykes.-Origins:...

". It tells a tale of love and loss amongst the pubs and clubs of Union Street at the time of the Falklands Conflict.